install from .tar.gz

Question

I am running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, 64-bit. I know there are a lot of topics on ".tar.gz" but it didn't answer my questions and/or I didn't undetstand the answers.

I am trying to install from a .tar.gz file and I am having difficulties. The file is from http://popcorn-time.se/ I download it to my home directory and extract it to mentioned directory, there are 3 files in the folder and I don't know what to do with these (usually there is a readme file). Double-clicking them doesn't do anything.

What to do? I would to prefer to solve this within the GUI and avoid the terminal, if possible.

As requested by Xen2050; these is the content of the .tar file:

@fz-System-Product-Name:~/Popcorn-Time-linux64$ ls -la
total 103176

drwxrwxr-x  2 fz fz     4096 jan 22 12:15 .
drwxr-xr-x 33 fz fz     4096 jan 22 12:42 ..
-rwxrwxrwx  1 fz fz  2395800 apr 28  2014 libffmpegsumo.so
-rwxrwxrwx  1 fz fz  4031601 apr 28  2014 nw.pak
-rwxrwxrwx  1 fz fz 99207331 apr 28  2014 Popcorn-Time

Solution

Usually those types of files are just "extract and run", but if it's not a GUI program, you may have to use a terminal and see what the files are, maybe run them there.

And it's almost always preferable to install programs from a default repository, or a PPA, if it's available there. apt-get or aptitude or synaptic are excellent ways to install programs available from the repositories.

But, for this .tar.gz, it may only run in a terminal, or may be giving an error message that double-clicking on it isn't revealing.

1. open a terminal
2. cd to the extracted files
3. type ls -la and paste the results into your Q, we're looking for which one is executable (has an x in the permissions)

After seeing the files, all those files are executable apparently, that's a little different. Can try executing the Popcorn-Time one with ./Popcorn-Time (have to type a ./ first, or the shell looks in your path for a filename to run, ignoring the current dir).

I did a web search and found some promising hits:

• http://lintut.com/run-popcorn-time-on-linux/ - Has info about your error from the comments, this might be your fix:

  If you see Error missing libudev.so.0 enter following command in terminal:

  sudo ln -s /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libudev.so.1 /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libudev.so.0
  

• Install Popcorn Time In Ubuntu Or Debian Via PPA Repository - If the above link didn't work, you could do this. In a terminal, run:

  sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/popcorntime
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install popcorn-time
  

Comments

[muru]

Looks like binaries. Try double clicking that Popcorn-Time file.

[muru]

@karel when I voted, the question was roughly "how do I install popcorn time from this .tar.gz file?" The details were added later.

[tasmaniski]

The question is not duplicate. old one is for popcorntime.io which is down, but new one is for currently working version.

[FuriousUser]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand how that is an answer to my question. I have downloaded a file that is supposed to work with Ubuntu. I extract it and there are 3 files I don't know what to do with. Is the answer that I shouldn't bother with the .tar file? The other topic you referred to doesn't mean anything to me - the answers are all over the place; someone is suggesting to compile your own. I want to install from the file I got from the site. It's not just about installing Popcorn, it's mostly about handling a type of file in Ubuntu; .tar.gz.

[FuriousUser]

Actually, it is quite the opposite. I don't want someone to just tell me what to type, I want to know what I am typing; something ALL instructions on this site lacks. For example: what if I didnt know what ls or cd did (I do)...

[Xen2050]

Definitely read the man page for any commands you're interested in, as in man ls or man apt-get (fyi, apt-get or aptitude or synaptic are excellent ways to install programs available from the repositories. And all those files are executable apparently, that's a little different. Can try executing the Popcorn-Time one with ./Popcorn-Time (have to type a ./ first, or the shell looks in your path for a filename to run, ignoring the current dir)

[FuriousUser]

./Popcorn-Time: error while loading shared libraries: libudev.so.0: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

[Xen2050]

@FuriousUser that's an onion in the ointment... updated with some other instructions from the web, and using a PPA & apt

[FuriousUser]

It failed on the last command. download failed Popcorn Time is NOT installed. dpkg: error processing package popcorn-time (--configure): subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1 Errors were encountered while processing: popcorn-time E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[Xen2050]

That shouldn't happen... even after the missing lib fix " sudo ln -s /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libudev.so.1 /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libudev.so.0 "?

[FuriousUser]

I rebooted and then it straightened itself out. So your instructions worked excellent it seems. Thank you, Xen2050!

[smac89]

Installing via PPA doesn't work anymore as of August 31, 2015

[Xen2050]

@Smac89 there's probably an updated answer in the "marked as duplicate of" question above. Or tried the "ubuntu how to install popcorn time" duckduckgo web search I linked to?